April 16, 2013

Canadian candidate quits over "hateful" comments

Controversial comments focus on First Nations, French-CanadiansThe B.C. NDP dropped Kelowna-Mission candidate Dayleen Van Ryswyk on the first day of the provincial election campaign over controversial comments made on a local media website.

“Earlier today, I was made aware of unacceptable comments made by Kelowna-Mission NDP candidate Dayleen van Ryswyk,” NDP Leader Adrian Dix said in a written release. “I have accepted Van Ryswyk’s resignation. A new B.C. NDP candidate will be announced shortly.”

He said mistakes happen, and that's how Van Ryswyk slipped through the vetting process despite posting comments on the internet blasting compensation paid to First Nations.

The news comes after the B.C. Liberal issued a press release Tuesday morning calling for Van Ryswyk’s resignation. The party released a series of controversial blog posts attributed to Van Ryswyk.

Some of Van Ryswyk's comments take aim at First Nations.

“It’s not the status cards, it’s the fact that we have been paying out of the nose for generations for something that isn’t our doing,” reads one post on Castanet, an Okanagan area website. “If their ancestors sold out too cheap it’s not my fault and I shouldn’t have to be paying for any mistake or whatever you want to call it from my hard-earned money.”What Van Ryswyk doesn't understand is, Canadians are paying for the vast tracts of land they took from Indians, not reparations for their past actions. Duhhh.

This story is ironic considering what the NDP stands for:

New Democratic Party (Canada)The NDP evolved from a merger of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). The CCF grew from populist, agrarian and socialist roots into a modern socialist party. Although the CCF was part of the Christian left and the Social Gospel movement, the NDP is secular and pluralistic. It has broadened to include concerns of the New Left, and advocates issues such as gay rights, international peace, and environmental stewardship.
New Democrats today advocate, among other things: